| [DVD Review] 'Roommates': Study Hard, Then You Die (Source) |
2008/09/28 |
 The true horror is the win-at-all-cost mentality
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)
The third film in the series of HD-lensed horror films produced by Yoo Il-han is "Roommates - 4 Horror Tales" (2006), connected to the previously reviewed "Hidden Floor" ("Forbidden Floor - 4 Horror Tales") via the central character of Bo-ram (Eun-seong): she is the girl with burn scars briefly glimpsed by the "Forbidden Floor - 4 Horror Tales"'s possessed toddler in the train station.
"Roommates - 4 Horror Tales" directly delves into probably the most important subject for the K-horror, the evils of education system, specifically a setup in which one shot of college entrance examination basically formalizes and entrenches one's status (economic, social, martial, yo... |More
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| 'Bloody Reunion' [DVD Review] A competent slasher pic that could have been nastier (Source) |
2008/01/20 |
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)
Six twenty-something characters are invited for a party by their elementary school classmate Mi-ja (Seo Young-hee, the neurotic landlady from "Jealousy is My Middle Name"), who has been caring for her former teacher Ms. Park (Oh Mi-hee), now infirm and wheelchair-bound. The guests turn out to be a motley crew of losers and basket cases, however.
Worse, each of them bears a serious grudge against Ms. Park. Sun-hee (Lee Ji-hyeon, Yeo Gyoon-dong's "La Belle"), traumatized by the teacher's public taunting of her baby fat, has become addicted to plastic surgery and suffers from bulimia. Park Hyo-joon ("A Dirty Carnival") ruined his leg while being punished by Ms. Park and had to fold his childhood dream of becoming an ace baseball player. Se-ho (Yeo Hyeon-soo, "Holiday") and Eun-young (Yoo Seol-ah), now a couple, is still struggling against the memories of insults and put-downs regarding their childhood poverty.
Even Myung-ho (Lee Dong-gyoo, Kim Eung-su's "D... |More
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| 'Forbidden Floor' [DVD Review] Convincing characters married to standard J-horror shticks (Source) |
2007/12/10 |
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)
The second installment in the You Il-han and Ahn Byeong-ki team-up horror series concerns a young working mother Min-young (Kim Seo-hyeong, the victimized teacher in "Voice Letter"), who moves into an "office-tel" room (a studio flat that doubles as a workplace) with a kindergarten-age daughter (Kim Yoo-jeong). Of course, the office-tel turns out to be spooked by the spirit of another young mother, whose attacks are responsible for a series of mysterious deaths. Soon it is uncovered that the building originally had another floor (the "fourth floor", which, like the thirteenth floor in the West, is considered bad luck and usually absent in Korean buildings). When the vengeful spirit seeks to possess Min-young's daughter, she decides to uncover the sordid past of the office-tel building.
Written and directed by Kwon Il-soon, who received notice due to his short "Hide and Seek" (2001) that, not coincidentally, explores a young child's feelings of loss of her ... |More
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| 'February 29': Deja Vu All Over the Place (Source) |
2007/12/02 |
 [DVD Review] You Il-han's horror short given a lackluster adaptation
Kyu Hyun Kim (qhyunkim)
"4 Horror Tales" was the 2006 summer season's top-line experiment of producing four horror movies based on Yoo Il-han's short stories on the cheap in high definition video. The tab was picked up by CJ Entertainment and TV station SBS. Yoo himself was involved as executive producer, teaming up with Korea's resident horror specialist Ahn Byeong-ki ("Phone", "A.P.T", among others) and giving opportunities to four young directors to scare up the audience in theaters as well as on TV screens.
The first installment "February 29 - 4 Horror Tales" might be of interest to the fans of "Dae Jang Geum" ("Jewel in the Palace"), a mega-hit Korean TV drama, since ... |More
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